Materials

Ivory, Wood, and Papier-mâché

In many ways, the same techniques are employed for ivory and wood when they are used for artistic embellishments. They can remain undecorated or can be carved, painted, or inlaid.

An object made from a single piece of ivory cannot exceed the size of the tusk, whether the ivory comes from an elephant or a walrus. Wood, in contrast, can be used for both small objects and very large architectural elements.

Although artists in the Islamic world had an abundant supply of both Indian and African ivory, the material was costly. The availability of wood varied more. In certain regions the material was common, in others so costly that wood from old structures was reused, even small pieces, for example combined in geometric panels or as inlaying material.

Papier-mâché is a cardboard-like substance made from paper pulp that was most often used for small objects, which were painted and lacquered.

Storage chest, wood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl in black lacquer

India, Gujarat; beginning of 17th century
H: 54.2; W: 109.5; D: 53 cm

This storage chest is the finest one that has been preserved of a fairly small group of pieces of furniture with mother-of-pearl inlays in lacquer. All come from Gujarat.

The lid is decorated with characteristic spiral ornamentation that helps us date it. An identical mother-of-pearl decoration is namely found on a canopy made in 1608-1609 for the grave of the Sufi sheikh Nizam al-Din Awliya, whose monument is in Delhi.

The chest was probably intended for the Ottoman market. The gilded metal fittings feature palmettes of the type favored in Turkey, and the chest’s feet have geometric ornaments that resemble Ottoman inlaying.